In a remote corner of the universe, on a planet devoid of civilization.
The spaceship's hatch opened, and Yu Qintu stepped out slowly. Her lazy gaze swept around casually before coming to a halt on a figure at the entrance of the manor ahead.
"I finally see you coming out of the laboratory. Did you sense my visit and come specifically to welcome me?"
"I just came out for some fresh air," Ruan Mei said, her expression indifferent and her tone devoid of emotion.
"I am Genius Society #55, after all. You're making me lose quite a bit of face."
"The micro-expressions of your facial muscles tell me that you don't care about so-called 'face.' Or perhaps, saying you don't care about appearances would be more accurate?"
"..."
Yu Qintu sighed helplessly and asked about business.
"Any results from your research project?"
That taboo research which desecrated life.
Humans must always revere something. Yu Qintu had her own points of disagreement, and she couldn't say she held life in high regard either.
But at the very least, she wouldn't do something like this.
Of course, she wouldn't interfere with others either.
"Not yet," Ruan Mei said calmly. "I've currently hit a bottleneck."
"I say, do you plan on standing here and talking to me forever?"
"Follow me."
Ruan Mei turned and walked into the manor, leading Yu Qintu to the backyard.
Before Yu Qintu could speak, she took off her lab coat and quickly shed her remaining clothes.
"You've come at a good time. Fresh pastries will be out of the oven in ten minutes. Bathe first to wash away the dust of your journey."
Yu Qintu's gaze moved from the unfamiliar bath to the perfectly curved, naked, pale back.
"I remember there wasn't a bath here the last time I visited."
"I altered the geological structure and hydrological cycle of this continental plate. Creating a natural hot spring bath wasn't difficult."
With her delicate right foot lightly touching the water's surface, Ruan Mei stepped slowly into the bath and sat down, hiding her alluring body in the warm water.
With a casual wave of her hand, a large number of plum blossoms drifted out from a hidden opening at the edge of the hot spring, scattering across the water.
The refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms gradually filled the space.
"Like teacher, like student. The Little Fellow you raised is the same; he's always talking about 'welcoming' people."
"He also took you to bathe?" Ruan Mei immediately looked up, a deep glint appearing in her eyes.
"What are you thinking? That Little Fellow is so polite and well-behaved it's almost unbearable. He could never do something like that."
Yu Qintu chuckled. Without any hesitation, she stepped straight into the bath.
The instant her toes touched the water, her clothes vanished as if the matter had been decomposed, dissolving without a trace.
"His personality is as stubborn as can be. Because of our relationship, he hasn't called me 'Sister Qintu' once in all these years."
"Every other word is'Senior, Senior.' It's so distant. Why didn't he learn from you in this regard?"
"You don't treat me like some senior, so there's no issue of a huge generational gap. Would it kill him to call me'Sister'?"
The depth in Ruan Mei's eyes faded, and she spoke calmly.
"People are living, but some rules must be set in stone, otherwise things will become chaotic. I have taught him, and I have punished him, so he will not act out of line."
"...So you really are the culprit."
Yu Qintu's look toward Ruan Mei became complicated.
"A teacher needs to lead by example. ARuan, how about calling me'Senior'?"
"I am not a member of the Genius Society. Why should I?" Ruan Mei said as if it were obvious.
"Does that mean if you become a member of the Genius Society in the future, you will?"
"Although I have no interest in becoming a member of the Genius Society, if that day ever comes, I will say it once."
"Just once?"
"Besides being seniors and juniors, you are also my friend. In our relationship, I believe friendship takes far higher priority than seniority."
"I give up on you."
Yu Qintu chuckled, her slender fingers picking up a petal and brushing it along her jade-like arm with droplets of water.
As if remembering something, she said:
"If you truly reach a point where your wisdom can shake the state of the universe, whether you want to be a member of the Society will no longer matter, because it won't be up to you."
"The moment Nous casts its gaze upon you, there is no turning back."
"The last seat in the Genius Society is currently #77. I have high hopes for you. Here—"
As she spoke, a pink drink suddenly appeared in Yu Qintu's hand.
"What is this?" Ruan Mei reached out to take it.
The small stemmed glass was filled with pink liquid, decorated with unknown grasses and something that looked like an insect.
An indescribable scent wafted toward her nose.
"I named it Pink Collision. You can drink it, or treat it as a research specimen."
"This insect is alive."
"Good eyes. You're a scientist in the field of life sciences; you wouldn't be afraid, would you?"
"..."
Under Yu Qintu's amused gaze, Ruan Mei took a sip without changing her expression.
"Pink Collision... I remember it's one of your favorite pieces of music from the Ancient Amber Era."
"Exactly right, my friend. How does it taste?"
"It's alright. Its flavor is no worse than AMu's plum blossom brew," Ruan Mei evaluated.
"I won't deny that..."
Yu Qintu leaned back, resting her arms on the edge of the bath, and spoke with high praise:
"It's truly strange. The ingredients and method of that Little Fellow's plum blossom dew can be known at a glance, yet neither of us can replicate that flavor. Could it have become a Curio?"
"Speaking of the Little Fellow, you haven't seen each other in over a hundred years, right? Do you plan to see him during this break?"
"Don't be fooled by the constant smile and nonchalant attitude on the surface; he probably misses you quite a bit."
"I don't," Ruan Mei answered without a moment's hesitation.
"He's your only student, and one of the few people you've spent decades with day and night. Do you really intend to never see each other again until death?" Yu Qintu found it hard to understand.
"We'll talk after the research project is finished," Ruan Mei said, unmoved.
"He is a Short-Lived Species, unlike you. If you bury yourself in research for another several decades or a century, he'll have died of old age."
"He won't. I've taught him no fewer than ten methods to extend one's lifespan without side effects."
"What if he doesn't use... Tsk, both teacher and student have such stubborn tempers."
Halfway through her sentence, Yu Qintu remembered that Qi Zhimu, despite being a Short-Lived Species, had lived for over a hundred and some years. His life must have been artificially extended.
Never mind then.
True. Aside from that old fellow Elias Salas, who among ordinary people would complain about living a bit longer?
Recalling the punishment Ruan Mei mentioned earlier and the question she had asked Qi Zhimu... curiosity flashed across Yu Qintu's face. She suddenly leaned toward Ruan Mei, causing ripples on the water's surface.
"ARuan, the Little Fellow advised you not to continue that research, didn't he?"
"Yes."
Yu Qintu thought to herself, as I suspected. An expression of disbelief flashed across her face. "Just because of that, you drove him away?"
Meeting the former's gaze, Ruan Mei remained silent for a moment before admitting it.
"In a way."
"Was that really necessary?!"
"It was. AMu denied my love for my family."